Moderation by Neighborhood Food Outlets on Relationships between Meal Sources and Diet

Abstract

Objectives: In this study, we tested for moderation by neighborhood food outlet presence on relationships between food outlet shopping or meal sources and dietary intake. Methods: We used generalized linear models to analyze parent-adolescent (12-17 years) dyad data from the 2014 Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health and Eating. Questions included food outlet presence in home (parent) and school (adolescent) neighborhoods (yes or no), shopping at food outlets (parent) (never, rarely, sometimes, often or always), and sources of food consumed away from and at home (weekly frequency). We captured food and beverage intakes via a dietary screener. Results: Relationships between adolescent added sugar intake and scratch cooked evening meals and meals away from home were found only when grocery stores and fast food restaurants, respectively, were present in adolescents' school neighborhoods. Shopping at fruit and vegetable (FV) markets and scratch cooked evening meals were associated with the largest increases in parent and adolescent FV intakes, respectively. Meals away from home at convenience stores were associated with the largest increases in parent and adolescent intakes of added sugars. Conclusions: Neighborhood grocery store and fast food restaurant presence moderated relationships between meal sources and dietary intake only in adolescents.